


The Darkest Nights Make for the Brightest Stars

by Soralith



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Tsukishima Kei, Child Abuse, Depressed Yamaguchi Tadashi, Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Romantic Soulmates, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Yams needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25855282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soralith/pseuds/Soralith
Summary: At the age of 5, the soulmate bond between two linked soulmates begins to form. Any and all marks made to the skin transfer over for 24 hours.As for Tsukishima Kei's soulmate, well, he's either unreasonably clumsy, or...(On indefinite hiatus)
Relationships: Tanaka Saeko/Tsukishima Akiteru, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 205





	1. Chapter 1

The first time Kei could remember ever receiving a soulmate mark was at the tender age of 5. He’d been getting ready to eat dinner, chatting cheerfully about volleyball to his big brother Akiteru, when his mother had gasped, dropping the plate she’d been holding to run over to him.

“Kei! Oh my goodness, what happened to you?” Kei had merely tilted his head, confused as to why his mother was so frantic as she pressed her hands to his cheeks.

As it had turned out, he’d had a large, mottled bruise forming on his forehead. The rather angry looking mark hadn’t hurt Kei, nor had the skin under it been tender as bruises normally tended be. His mild puzzlement, as Kei was sure he hadn’t hit himself on anything, had worried his mother and brother immensely. And as the bruise steadily grew more purple, their concern had skyrocketed, with Kei’s mother anxiously awaiting the doctor’s appointment she’d scheduled. 

Much to their shock, it had suddenly disappeared during dinner the next evening. The sudden patch of clear, unmarked skin had startled them all, especially Kei, as he’d started to grow worried that he was seriously sick. Only after the purple, golf ball sized bruise had suddenly disappeared had Kei’s mother come to the sudden realization that the mark must have come from his soulmate.

“Oh my goodness, why didn’t I think of this sooner? You’re five now, so your soulmate bond must be forming!” Much to Kei’s bemusement, she had thrown her arms around him happily while Akiteru had ruffled his hair affectionately. Afterwards though, the older woman had clucked her tongue softly as she’d checked over Kei once again, making sure the bruise had actually fully faded.

“Your poor soulmate must have hit his head or something- perhaps he’s clumsy.” She’d offered with a small smile. Kei’s father had been incredibly clumsy apparently, and she’d found herself covered in random bruises throughout her childhood. 

Due to the way soulmate marking worked, it wasn’t uncommon to find random bruises and small cuts littering one’s body. If something happened to mark one soulmate’s skin, the same mark would appear on their respective other’s skin for 24 hours, before vanishing without a trace. An invisible, unbreakable string of fate intertwined two soulmates together, though the bond would only be complete once the two had become emotionally intimate with each other.

Of course, it didn’t mean that all soulmates were destined to be together- there were many soulmates whose relationships with each other were platonic rather than romantic. But as a completed soulmate bond allowed for the pair to feel each other’s emotions, many did find themselves falling in love and becoming lifelong partners. 

5 year old Kei had been horrified to find out his soulmate had gotten such a nasty bruise, and had cried profusely for them. Only when Akiteru had reassured Kei that his soulmate was probably just fine (as well as promising to play some volleyball with him) had the blond child stopped crying, much to his mother and brother’s amusement. 

As the years had gone by, Kei had noticed more and more marks appearing on his skin: most often bruises, which Kei soon got used to being covered in. It appeared that his soulmate was more than a little clumsy, given the number of bruises that appeared on his arms and legs over the years. (A few appeared on his back as well, which only further convinced him that his soulmate had to be a walking disaster.)

“Perhaps he plays volleyball, like you.” Akiteru had offered once, when Kei had complained about the large number of bruises that seemed to appear daily on his face and arms. The older teen had already gone through his journey in finding his soulmate, and had found her to be a girl at his high school. Thankfully, she’d been much less clumsy than Kei’s soulmate was proving to be, as Akiteru had never had many random injuries show up. Instead, his arms had been covered in hearts and small doodles from his soulmate, which had ultimately helped him narrow her down to a girl in the next class. 

Once having found her, Akiteru had apologized profusely to the girl in question, as he’d had his own fair share of bruises due to rough volleyball practices and matches. Thankfully though, she’d been completely understanding as she also had a younger brother who was volleyball obsessed, and she’d even been mildly impressed by all of his injuries, making Akiteru blush brightly. 

The two’s relationship had flourished, and Kei had been pleased to have an “onee-san” to interact with, as he’d had a rather lonely childhood. He’d had never had many friends, as his rather aloof personality had intimidated many of the children in the neighborhood away. But Tanaka Saeko had immediately taken a liking to the tall, awkward child, and had (to Akiteru’s relief) accepted him at face value. She was kind and treated Kei well, though her personality proved rather rambunctious at times. But despite her occasionally chaotic habits, Saeko became a welcome presence in the Tsukishima home, especially after she’d brought a brand new volleyball playmate for Kei, in the form of her younger brother, Tanaka Ryuunosuke.

Ryu (as he’d insisted on being called) was a year older than Kei, and had a personality that rivaled, or even surpassed, his older sister’s wild side. His personality had proven to be too much for the shy, awkward child, but as time passed, they’d slowly bonded over their shared enthusiasm for volleyball. Eventually, Ryuu had asked Kei to join the junior volleyball team he was on, telling him eagerly that “he was just the middle blocker the team needed”, and their (rather strange) friendship became official. 

Once Akiteru and Saeko had graduated high school and moved on to college, Kei left the junior team he’d been a part of with Ryuu in favor of joining the one at his middle school, where he was quickly put in as a starting middle blocker due to his height. Ryuu, being a year older, had already left the team the year before to join his own middle school’s team, leaving Kei alone once again. 

The two still kept in touch, seeing as they were likely going to be brother in laws eventually, but for the most part, Kei was alone once again.

It was this loneliness, along with the growing concern over his perpetually clumsy soulmate that finally gave Kei the courage to attempt contacting his soulmate. He’d never tried in the years past, unsure of how to even start a message to a stranger he’d never met- Kei had never managed to even make friends with other children he’d met face to face. But a large bruise that appeared on his chest late one evening, during the summer of his first year of middle school, finally prompted Kei to take a thin marker and scribble a short note on his arm. 

_ Are you alright? _ Kei had carefully written out the short message on the pale underside of his arm using a washable blue marker, before biting his lip worriedly as he waited for a response. It was rather late in the evening, as Kei had decided to wait until he was in the safety (and privacy) of his own room when he knew he wouldn’t be bothered to try and contact his soulmate. If his mother (or god forbid Akiteru) were to find out he was finally trying to contact them, he knew they would make a big fuss, which Kei desperately wanted to avoid. 

The minutes slowly passed without a response, and Kei found himself picking at a seam on his dinosaur pajama pants in his nervousness. 

Was his soulmate asleep? Did they not speak Japanese? Or did they simply not want to respond? Had someone already figured out it was him, and had they decided that he wasn’t worth getting to know?

The thoughts whirled through Kei’s kind as the clock slowly ticked on.

Just when he’d decided to get up and wash the marker off his arm, as 15 minutes had passed with no response, deciding that his soulmate didn’t want to get in contact, when color slowly bloomed on his arm, forming neat, though small Japanese characters.

_ I am. Thank you for asking.  _ A sudden warmth bloomed in Kei’s heart as he read the message. His  _ soulmate  _ had responded! He was communicating with the one person he was destined to have a relationship with- the mere thought made a small smile appear on his face as he quickly wrote back.

_ I’m glad. So you’re Japanese?  _ Kei held his breath for a minute, waiting eagerly, before words slowly appeared again on his arm. 

_ Yes.  _ Kei frowned, slightly disappointed by the rather short response. He bit his lip as he pondered over what to write back, when a new message appeared underneath.

_ How old are you?  _ Kei had blinked in surprise, before writing an answer back.

_ 12. _

_ Me too.  _ The message appeared much more quickly this time. Kei beamed when he saw it- a friend! His soulmate was his age, which relieved Kei. It wasn’t uncommon for soulmate pairs to be a few years apart in age, the max recorded difference having been 6 years, but it made it easier (and made him happier) for Kei to talk to a peer. 

_ What’s your name?  _ Kei had written. But there was a pause this time, that went on just long enough for Kei to start biting his lip in worry, until his soulmate responded. 

_ Do I have to say?  _ Kei instantly felt bad- it was clear he’d pushed a little too much for their first interaction. 

_ No. Sorry. You don’t have to tell me.  _ Kei had scribbled a response quickly, hoping he hadn’t offended his soulmate. 

_ It’s okay. But… you can call me Hoshi.  _ Kei had blinked in surprise, before writing back.

_ Call me Tsukki then.  _

_ Tsukki. Okay. Nice to meet you, Tsukki.  _

_ Nice to meet you too, Hoshi.  _ There was a moment of silence, during which Kei bit his lip as he tried to figure out how to end the conversation. It was getting late, and he knew that if his light was on for much longer, his mother would poke her head into his room and undoubtedly find out just exactly what he was doing. 

Kei wasn’t…  _ embarrassed _ , per say, about contacting his soulmate, but a voice inside his head told him that he didn’t want people finding out- that this connection with his soulmate was for him, and him alone. 

Thankfully, it seemed that his soulmate was of a similar mind, as green characters bloomed on his arm.

_ It’s getting late, and I’m not exactly supposed to be awake. Can we talk again tomorrow?  _ A small smile made its way to Kei’s face as he responded.

_ Sure. It’s late for me too.  _

_ Then goodnight. It was nice to meet you. :)  _ Kei felt his smile grow slightly at the sight of the small smiley face.

_ Goodnight, Hoshi. Sleep tight. _

It seemed he wasn’t going to be so lonely anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just an intro chapter, so it’s a lot shorter than the others will be. 
> 
> This fic is one that’s actually inspired by a drawing I’m working on right now. It’s a sad, angsty drawing that I started when I was feeling bleeeh (a lot like my DaiSuga fic now that I think about it), which is what this fic will turn out to be, even if it seems happy and fluffy right now. Though, I guess “Free” was dark from the start. And I plan for this one to be longer, and have a slower burn than “Free” did. :D Look at me starting brand new fics even though I have like 15 unfinished ones in google drive. 
> 
> Kei is also a little ooc in this fic, as he doesn’t experience the betrayal with his brother. He’s still aloof and kind of cold sometimes, but that’s more just his personality and awkwardness from not being able to form friendships at a young age. I hope you all don’t mind a slightly less snarky Kei?
> 
> (“Hoshi” means star in Japanese, while “Tsuki” means moon- which fits with their dynamic. I chose for it to be “Tsukki” though, since that’s what Yams traditionally calls him.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yams’ POV’s in this chapter ^^

Yamaguchi Tadashi groaned softly as a loud slam shook the walls of his house, startling him awake. He opened his eyes to see the bright summer sun shining through his curtains into his room, warming his freckled skin. A loud groan and expletive mutter from the living room clued Tadashi on the fact that his mother was home from spending the night drinking, and in one of her usual, foul moods. He bit back a sigh as he flopped his left arm over his face, blinking as he spotted something blue standing out against the pale skin of his forearm. It took a moment for his bleary eyes to make sense of the marks on his arm, before his lips crooked up into a tiny smile as he recognized the familiar handwriting.

_ Good morning.  _ Tsukki always woke earlier than he did (for morning volleyball practice, Tsukki had explained), and it felt nice to have someone actually greeting him cheerfully first thing in the morning. Tadashi reached under his pillow to find the thin marker he kept there and carefully wrote a response.

_ Good morning! Hope practice goes well today. _ He tucked the marker back under his pillow, where he knew it wouldn’t be found, before he slowly sat up, hissing softly as he did so. His back muscles protested as he pulled himself over to the side of the bed.

Two years had passed since his soulmate had first reached out to him, and though it had shocked the green haired teen at first to see blue words of concern appearing across his skin, it was now a welcome sight- a small oasis of happiness in the midst of the pain and darkness that surrounded his life otherwise. 

Tadashi winced as he stood slowly, fully feeling the punishment that his mother had dealt on him for accidentally burning the rice the evening before. She’d cursed at him before shoving him painfully and causing him to trip over their low dining table and fall awkwardly backwards onto the floor, straining his back in the process. Thankfully though, she’d stormed out soon after, leaving him safely alone in the house.

Thankful for the peace and quiet, Tadashi had simply picked himself up and cleaned the mess off the floor, eating some of the less burned rice for dinner as it felt wasteful to simply throw it away. Once the house had been clean, Tadashi spent some time making up sandwiches he knew his mother would eat, just in case she returned early and in search of food.

Feeling rather tired from the events of the day, the teen had retired to his bedroom where he’d wearily finished his homework before crawling exhaustedly into bed and falling asleep, just barely managing to write out a “goodnight” to Tsukki through closing eyes. 

Tadashi sighed softly as he walked over to his closet and removed his middle school uniform, grateful that his middle school’s uniform featured a long sleeved jacket and high collar. It meant he wouldn’t have to wear an extra long sleeve shirt underneath the dress shirt and jacket like he had done in elementary school- Tadashi was just grateful he hadn’t yet passed out from heat stroke. 

After pulling on the jacket, Tadashi glanced around the small, rather bare bedroom to check that he hadn’t left any school assignments out, before he took up his school bag and quietly opened his bedroom door. He furtively glanced down the hall, and seeing it empty, quickly slipped out the door, silently padding down the hall to the living room. The front door was located in the small entrance hall connected to the living room, which meant that Tadashi had no choice but to pass the living room where he knew his mother would be, nursing her hangover from the night before with more beer.

“Oi. You didn’t make breakfast- the hell do you think you’re going?” Tadashi bit back a sigh as he turned towards his mother. Her scraggly, long black hair was messily tucked into a low ponytail and she sneered as she glared at him, waving a half full bottle of beer from her position on the couch. 

“Mother, your favorite breakfast buns are in the kitchen- I bought a few extra the last time I went.” Tadashi flinched when his mother’s face twisted and she threw one of the empty beer bottles at him. He quickly managed to dodge, though the glass bottle shattered as it hit the floor. 

“Don’t talk back at me, you ungrateful little shit.” Tadashi bit his lip as he stared down at the glass surrounding his feet- he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to get himself out of the pool of glass shards without cutting himself. 

“Clean that up and get me those buns.” Her voice was full of loathing as she turned away from Tadashi to turn on the small television in front of her. 

Amidst the droning voices of a rerun, Tadashi carefully managed to sweep up the shattered glass, only garnering a small splinter in his foot through the process. Once he’d pulled the splinter out (wrapping the affected area in a spare rag until he could properly clean and dress it at school), Tadashi bagged up the shards and deposited into the trash can, before grabbing the bag of buns and setting it down on the coffee table in front of his mother.

“I’ll be leaving now. I have work today, so I’ll be late home. There’s egg sandwiches in the fridge for dinner.” Silence greeted Tadashi as he slipped on his shoes, wincing as he put pressure on his cut foot. He glanced over at his mother, who’s gaze was fixed to the flashing television screen, before he sighed softly and opened the front door. 

_ Practice went well, thanks. Don’t skip breakfast today.  _ A tiny smile grew on Tadashi’s face as he closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath before he walked forward, making his way down the hall of the rickety apartment building he and his mother lived in. 

At least he had his soulmate.

——

“Ah, Tadashi. Have a good day at school?” Tadashi smiled politely as Shimada-san greeted him cheerfully. 

“It was alright, thank you. What should I start with today?” The kindly man smiled as he gestured toward the back room of the small store.

“Just cataloguing for you today. We got a new shipment last night, so can you sort and write down how much of each product we received?” Tadashi nodded as he headed toward the back of the store, bowing respectfully at an old woman who was doing some shopping. The sight made Shimada smile as he watched the teen disappear into the back room, before he turned his attention back to the customer in front of him. 

Shimada Makoto had been a godsend for Tadashi. His store was the closest one to Tadashi’s apartment building, and the calm faced man was the closest thing the young teen had to a proper parent. 

Tadashi had wandered into the market 8 years previously, absolutely starving and terrified that his mother would never return home. Shimada had only been 18 at the time, a high school senior working at his parents’ shop, but he’d sprung into action when Tadashi had walked in, eyes wide and filled with tears.

After coaxing the truth out of the frightened 6 year old, Shimada had been quick to offer him one of the onigiri his mother had made for his bento. Tadashi had devoured the rice ball, having not eaten properly since the evening before, which had made the teenager’s heart throb in his chest. 

Ever since, Shimada had secretly started setting aside a few of the pre packaged foods for the hungry child, paying for it out of the money his parents gave him for running the shop. As the years had passed, he’d gotten to know the shy, polite child who was always so grateful and would offer up whatever payment he could, whether it be from coins he’d found in the street or a thank you card that he’d made at school. He’d wormed his way into Shimada’s heart rather quickly, and Shimada found himself worrying over Tadashi’s wellbeing, much in the way an older brother would for their younger sibling. 

So when Tadashi had sheepishly walked in a year back, asking if there was anywhere that would hire a 13 year old for work, Shimada had immediately offered his own services, telling the preteen that he could work at the market. 

“I’ve actually been considering getting a helper for the shop, so this is good timing.” By then, Shimada had taken over full responsibility for the shop, meaning that he was in charge of everything there was to do with owning and maintaining a neighborhood market. And with full responsibility came the freedom to do as he wished, including hiring the boy he’d come to see as a younger brother.

Though Japan’s labor laws prohibited any child from seeking a job before they finished compulsory education, Shimada knew, and understood the situation that Tadashi was in. His mother’s measly part time job hardly paid enough to cover the household bills, let alone any food or extra comforts most enjoyed in their lives. And with a year left until Tadashi could officially seek out work, Shimada knew that the teen would struggle, if he didn’t do anything to help him.

So Shimada had made an arrangement with the freckled teen: Tadashi could work three evenings a week at Shimada Mart- either stocking shelves, cataloging inventory, or handling other small jobs around the market at minimum wage. His uniform would consist of the shop’s apron draped over his plain clothes, and Tadashi would work a maximum of 3 hours on school nights- 5 on weekends. And if anyone was to question the young child working at the market, Tadashi was simply Shimada’s young cousin, looking for a way to help out and spend time with his favorite “onii-san”, while also earning some pocket money. 

When Shimada had revealed the full outline of the plans he’d made to help Tadashi out, he’d been startled by Tadashi’s sudden embrace, the child’s thin arms wrapping tightly around the 24 year old. 

“Thank you, Shimada-san. Thank you.” Tadashi’s whisper had been soft, yet full of emotion, and Shimada had found his own eyes pooling with tears at Tadashi’s words.

“Of course.” 

“Hey, Shimada-san?” Shimada blinked as he heard Tadashi’s voice. The teen was standing in front of him, his folded apron in his hands, clearly having been trying to get his attention for some time now. The sky outside the store was beginning to darken, orange highlights coloring the sky, which clued Shimada into the fact that Tadashi had likely finished his shift for the evening. 

“Hm? Sorry, I was thinking about something. Headed out for tonight?” Tadashi nodded as he smiled, though Shimada immediately recognized the slightly hesitant look on his face, indicating that something was on Tadashi’s mind. 

“What’s up?” Tadashi shifted, putting his weight on his other foot, before speaking.

“I was wondering, where did you go to high school?” Shimada raised an eyebrow as he reached down to grab the bag of packaged foods that he’d set aside for Tadashi. Tonight’s bag held two small packages of chicken thighs, some pre packaged onigiri that were nearing their sell by date, a few apples, and a plastic container with Tadashi’s favorite daikon radishes. Shimada had also snuck in a small box of pain relieving patches during Tadashi’s shift, having spotted the 14 year old wincing and rubbing at his back as he’d squatted to count the number of boxes of shrimp crackers they’d received. 

“High school? I went to Karasuno. You know, the one with the karasu (crows) as their mascot?” Tadashi nodded as he accepted the bag, carefully placing it in his school bag. 

“Why? You’re not going to the local school here? Aren’t you guaranteed a spot for next year, considering your grades?” Tadashi nodded as he straightened, his eyes lingering momentarily on the package of rice crackers that sat open behind the register. Shimada threw the teen a grin as he offered him the package, the green haired teen’s eyes lighting up as he plucked one of the packages out of the bag and tore it open. 

“I just… I don’t really want to go to the high school here. I want to go to college eventually, so I know that I need a high school education, but…” Tadashi trailed off, instead choosing to take a bite out of the slightly sweet cracker. Shimada hummed in response, nodding as the bell over the front door to the market jangled and an elderly gentleman made his way in. 

“Still having trouble with the bullies?” Tadashi’s cheeks colored slightly as he nodded, and the green haired teen took a slightly more ferocious bite out of his cracker, making Shimada chuckle. 

“Karasuno isn’t too far from here- you could probably walk there from here in about half an hour. A bike would probably get you there in less than half that time. You would still have to pass their entrance exam though from what I remember, it wasn’t too difficult. You’re definitely smart enough to pass it.” Shimada grinned as the blush on Tadashi’s cheeks grew more pronounced, highlighting the scatter of freckles that dotted his skin. 

“Talk to your homeroom teacher- they’ll be able to help you apply to Karasuno. And, ‘dashi.” Tadashi glanced over at Shimada, tilting his head slightly as he nodded.

“If they keep bothering you, tell me, okay? You shouldn’t have to deal with kids like them.” A sad, tiny smile crossed Tadashi’s face as he nodded, his nose scrunching up as Shimada reached over the counter to ruffle Tadashi’s hair. 

“Alright, get home safely. If you ever need anything, you know where I am.” Tadashi nodded again as he waved goodbye, quickly stepping out of the way for a customer who was making their way up to the cash register. 

Tadashi sighed as he breathed in the fresh air, the warmth of the setting sun making him feel more at ease. He truly loved Shimada-san, and didn’t know how he would’ve survived until now without him. Well, without him and his soulmate, Tadashi corrected. 

Speaking of which, Tadashi shifted his school bag and hefted it over his right shoulder, before he glanced around the now deserted street. Seeing nobody around, he slowly slid up the sleeve of his uniform jacket, frowning as a large, multicolored bruise came into view on his forearm. 

It was worse than last night, when the bruise had only been a dark shade of purple. Tadashi sighed softly before he pushed up the sleeve a little further, revealing familiar handwriting that tugged a small smile onto the teen’s lips.

_ Hey, how was your day?  _ The kindly words made Tadashi’s heart blossom with warmth as he walked down the street before stopping in front of the apartment building he and his mother lived in. He’d have to wait until he was back in his room to reply, but it always made Tadashi smile to know that someone cared. Someone who didn’t know who he was, who didn’t have the slightest idea how pathetic he could be, cared enough about him to ask after him on a daily basis. 

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Tadashi quickly yanked the sleeve back down, wincing as he brushed over sensitive skin, before straightening up as one of his neighbors came into view next to him. 

“Ah, Yamaguchi-kun. Finally home?” Tadashi nodded, forcing a polite smile onto his face at the young woman standing next to him. He waited as she tapped in the code to the apartment, before he grabbed the door and held it open for her, nodding when she thanked him. The woman soon disappeared into one of the ground level apartments, and Tadashi felt himself relaxing as he quickly made his way up the stairs to their apartment. Tadashi stopped at the front door, taking a deep breath, before he silently opened the door. 

The strong scent of beer filled his nose, making Tadashi’s face scrunch in discomfort. A loud snoring also filled his ears, making Tadashi’s body relax slightly. He closed the door behind him quietly, careful not to wake his sleeping mother on the couch as he slipped out of his shoes and walked into the kitchen. 

Quickly, but as quietly as he could manage, Tadashi unpacked the few groceries that Shimada-san had given him into the fridge. He froze when his mother snorted and rolled over in her sleep, before quickly grabbing an apple and one of the onigiri and stuffing them back into his school bag, and tiptoeing his way down the hall and into his room. 

Once his bedroom door was closed behind him, Tadashi finally allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. It was always so much easier when she was asleep, as it meant he could avoid any nasty comments or punishments his mother might have wanted to dole out upon his return. 

After setting down his school bag, Tadashi slipped out of his school uniform, hanging up the jacket back in his closet and folding his dress shirt and pants neatly before setting them down on the small desk. He then reached for the large, soft shirt and shorts he wore to bed and pulled them on, giving a soft sigh of satisfaction. His uniform did wonders in hiding his arms and legs, but they sure weren’t the most comfortable things in the world. 

Then, remembering that Tsukki had sent him a message, Tadashi fished around underneath his pillow for the marker he’d used in the morning, before uncapping it with his teeth and writing a response underneath Tsukki’s message.

_ Hi! It was okay, how was yours?  _ Tadashi settled down on his desk chair, pulling his school bag over so he could finish up his school assignments. It took until he had his English worksheet and pencil case out on the small desk for Tsukki to respond. 

_ Mine was good. Well, other than my dumb onii-chan coming to watch my volleyball practice. He was embarrassing.  _ Tadashi chuckled at the pure frustration emanating from the blue Japanese characters. 

_ You know that he just wants to be a good big brother.  _ A small twinge of jealousy crawled up into Tadashi’s heart, which he firmly shoved away. 

_ Yeah, yeah. If he would stop cheering like an overexcited two year old though, that would be nice.  _ Tadashi smiled as he wrote down the correct English vocabulary on his worksheet. Sometimes, he envied Tsukki for having the sibling relationship that he never was able to have. Though, Tadashi supposed, as he tried to decide between writing “angry” and “frustrated” on the worksheet, he did have Shimada-san. He was kind of like a big brother, in a way. 

_ Did you eat dinner?  _ A wry smile made its way to Tadashi’s face as he read the message. It was just like Tsukki to worry. Setting his pencil down, Tadashi reached over for the onigiri he’d brought into the room with him and unwrapped it. Tadashi took a bite out of the rice, smiling when he realized that Shimada had given him his favorite salmon onigiri, before he wrote back a response.

_ Just took a bite out of some onigiri.  _

_ Good. Doing homework?  _

_ Yeah. English vocab tonight.  _ Tadashi took another bite, savoring the tasty salmon as he wrote down another answer on his paper. 

_ Need help?  _ Tsukki, as it turned out, was really good at English. Tadashi, on the other hand, was rather bad at it, and he’d come to rely on Tsukki for English tutoring from time to time. 

_ No, I’m good tonight. Thanks though.  _ The messages trailed off then, as Tadashi focused on his assignment. Tsukki knew better than to bother Tadashi when he was working on English, and it always warmed Tadashi’s heart to know just how much his soulmate seemed to care for him.

40 minutes, some searching of his English notes, and one finished onigiri later, Tadashi finally found himself finished with his homework. He yawned as he stretched back, feeling tired. When he glanced at the clock, he saw that it was 8 pm- a good time to start thinking about getting a shower before crawling into bed. 

If he was quick (and quiet), he might even be able to keep from seeing his mother again before tomorrow morning. And as he’d have to wake up extra early- Tadashi had confirmed that they were now out of the buns his mother would eat for breakfast, he could use all the sleep he could get. 

Tadashi sighed softly as he stood, tiredly rubbing at his eyes when a new flash of blue caught his eyes, making him pull his arm up to his face. When he read the new message Tsukki had sent him, Tadashi blinked, once, twice, unable to wrap his head around what he was reading. 

_ Hey, if I offered… would you come watch one of my volleyball games?  _

\----

When Tadashi hadn’t replied, Tsukki had been quick to assure him that he wasn’t by any means required to come see him play. But in case he wanted to, Tsukki had left him with the name of the gym his team was playing at, along with the date and time of the match. He hadn’t offered his school name, understanding that Tadashi was still uncomfortable revealing personal details about their lives, but did tell him that he was a starter on his team, which meant that Tadashi was sure to see Tsukki play if he came. 

A small, yet burning interest to find out more about the game his soulmate spent so much of his time devoted to distracted Tadashi for the next few days, causing him to face some extra wrath from his mother. She’d remarked (rather cruelly) that Tadashi seemed to be even more out there than usual, which Tadashi figured she wasn’t wrong about, for once. 

As the weekend (and therefore volleyball match) drew closer, Tadashi continued to worry over whether to go or not, so much so that even Shimada-san noticed, and asked if he was feeling alright. 

“‘dashi-kun, what’s wrong? You’re unusually quiet lately. Is everything okay at home?” Tadashi had jumped, startled from his thoughts. The armful of chip bags that Tadashi had been holding slipped out of his grasp, making the teen scramble to pick them up. 

“Ah, sorry, Shimada-san. I was thinking about something. And everything is as it is at home.” Shimada-san nodded, also bending down to help gather the last of the bags before arranging them on the shelf in front of them. 

“So if it isn’t your mother, can I ask what it is that has you so distracted?” Tadashi’s cheeks reddened, making Shimada raise a curious eyebrow at him. 

“Hm? What is it?” Tadashi bit his lip, before glancing down at the floor as he shuffled his feet. 

“My… soulmate. I’ve been in contact with them for over two years now.” Tadashi’s face flushed brighter at the sudden look of excitement that appeared on Shimada’s face, his eyes widening and lips quirking up into a delighted smile.

“Your soulmate? Oh? I didn’t know you talked to them! Are they sweet?” Tadashi nodded, a tiny smile crossing his face.

“They’re really nice! I haven’t really exchanged much personal information with them, but I like talking to them. They’re really good at English, which has saved me from hours of pouring over my notes, and they always ask how I am, and…” Tadashi trailed off, cheeks burning as he realized he was rambling. Shimada simply smiled, his eyes crinkling gently as he reached over to ruffle Tadashi’s hair. 

“I’m glad that they’re good for you. I don’t often get to see you so passionate about anything really. So I’m really happy.” Tadashi ducked his head, embarrassed. 

“What has you so distracted though? It doesn’t seem like just your soulmate would make you put the rice crackers where the chocolate bars would usually go.” Tadashi blinked, before he turned around in the snack aisle of the store to see that there were indeed several packages of rice crackers on top of the packages of chocolate. 

“Ah, shoot. Sorry, Shimada-san.” Shimada chuckled as he shook his head, while Tadashi quickly grabbed the misplaced crackers and put them where they were supposed to go. 

“It’s just… I’ve been too nervous, to exchange anything that might help my soulmate figure out who I am. So we’ve been calling each other nicknames, not exchanging school locations, etc.” Shimada raised a curious eyebrow.

“Nicknames?” Shimada motioned for the teen to follow him, which Tadashi did. The two walked into the back storeroom, where Shimada handed Tadashi a box of apples while he took up a box of peaches.

“He calls me Hoshi. I call him Tsukki.” Tadashi’s cheeks flamed again at the bright grin Shimada threw his way. The two walked back out into the store and over to the small produce section, where they began stacking up the fruit into neat piles, careful not to bruise any of them.

“So…?” Shimada gave Tadashi a look, encouraging him to continue. Tadashi took a deep breath as he grabbed another few apples from the box.

“My soulmate… they play volleyball. They’re always up early for practice and stuff. It seems like they enjoy it.” Shimada nodded.

“And… they have a game this weekend. It’s going to be against another middle school, and they want me to come watch.” Tadashi’s hands had stopped stacking the apples, the teen staring down at the pile of fruit.

“Okay, do you need time off then?” Tadashi blinked, before he shook his head quickly.

“No, wait, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to go yet-”

“Do you want to go?” Tadashi looked over at Shimada, who was still stacking the peaches, his motions fluid and well practiced. 

“I don’t know.” Shimada plucked up the last peach from his box, before finally turning and looking at Tadashi.

“Well, let me put it this way. Do you want to go see just what it is your soulmate is passionate about? Do you want to go and see if you can learn a little more about your soulmate? Or are you not ready for that yet?” Shimada took the half full box of apples from under Tadashi and quickly stacked the rest of the fruit up as Tadashi stood silently. 

Was he? Was he ready to go find out more about his soulmate?

Tadashi knew that the decision didn’t depend on whether he wanted to know more about Tsukki or not- he did. He knew he did. Yamaguchi Tadashi wanted to learn more about the kind, slightly cheeky person that Tsukki was. 

But… was he ready?

Was he ready to open himself up, at least marginally? Was he ready to finally allow his soulmate to potentially know just who Yamaguchi Tadashi was? 

….was he willing to take the chance? 

The chance that his soulmate could take one look at him, and decide he wasn’t worth it? 

“Ouch!” Tadashi flinched as Shimada lightly flicked his forehead, making the teen throw the store owner a slightly annoyed pout as he rubbed at the sore spot. 

“You’re thinking so loud that I can’t hear myself think, ‘dashi-kun. Don’t overthink it. I know you’ll make the right decision, no matter what you choose to do. And your soulmate, if they’re as kind as you say they are, they’ll accept whatever choice you make. Okay?” Tadashi nodded, sighing softly when Shimada pulled the teen into a gentle side hug.

“You’re a good kid, Tadashi. A smart one, too. Now, you’re far too thin for someone your age, so take these,” Shimada pushed two of the store’s bentos into Tadashi’s surprised hands, “and if you do decide to go, just let me know. I can get someone to cover your hours on Saturday.” Tadashi blinked again.

“I never told you the date.” Shimada smiled, lightly tapping his own head with his index finger as he walked away.

“I never told you? I played volleyball when I was younger. Junior high games only take place during the weekend, and I know that you like spending Sundays at home, since it’s the one day your mom has a full day of work.” Tadashi nodded, cheeks brightening slightly at how well Shimada knew him. 

Since his father had left, and his mother had gotten her part time job, Tadashi had been forced to take over all of the household chores, which he’d gotten into a habit of doing on Sunday. With his mom away at work, doing the chores around the house was almost… peaceful, especially since his mother wasn’t around to nitpick and scold him for doing everything “incorrectly”. It was the reason that Tadashi’s one stipulation for working for Shimada had been to keep his Sundays free.

Shimada disappeared for a moment, before reappearing from the store’s back room with Tadashi’s school bag, which he passed to the teen. Tadashi quickly packed away the two bentos into the bag as Shimada continued speaking while walking back towards the front of the store.

“If the game were on Sunday, you probably wouldn’t have even considered going.” Tadashi nodded as he followed Shimada up to the counter. The store had been surprisingly quiet for a Wednesday evening, and they hadn’t had many customers, which Tadashi was now grateful for. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have gotten a chance to chat with Shimada like he had. 

“Anyways, be safe going home, okay? If you need anything, you have my number, right?” Tadashi nodded again as he slung the bag over his shoulder. Shimada tossed him one of the candy bars from the front register, which Tadashi caught with a smile. The door to the store opened then, the bell jangling the arrival of a mother and her child. They were two regulars that Tadashi knew, and he smiled and waved at the little girl, who grinned back brightly as she waved.

“Be safe heading home, Yamaguchi-kun.” Tadashi bowed slightly in response as the woman threw him a gentle smile, before the two disappeared into the aisles. 

“Alright. Have everything?” Tadashi nodded and started to make his way out the door, before he stopped, and turned around. 

“Shimada-san.” 

“Hm?” Shimada pushed up his glasses as he gazed at Tadashi curiously.

“I’ll need cover for Saturday.” A knowing grin grew on Shimada’s face as he nodded, making a note on the notepad he kept at the front register.

“Sure. Have fun.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope the sudden switch wasn’t too confusing? I want to get into the story, so I time-skipped. (Is that a verb?? Nope. Definitely not.)
> 
> Next chapter will feature more interaction between Yams and Tsukki, but they won’t actually meet for some time yet. I don’t think this story will go beyond 10ish chapters, but I could be wrong. I’ll probably be wrong. 
> 
> If you have questions, I’m happy to answer them! Well, as long as they don’t spoil the future plot ^^. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading :D


	3. Chapter 3

“Oi, Tsukishima. We’re starting soon- we have a team meeting right now.” Kei nodded in response at his teammate, though his eyes continued searching the bleachers, passing quickly over the faces of parents who’d come to cheer their children on and lingering briefly over the faces of students his age. 

Had they come? Had his soulmate come to watch him? 

Kei continued glancing amongst the small crowd of people that had gathered to watch the game, hoping, praying, that one of the heads that peered down at him from the seats above belonged to the sweet, though shy person he’d come to know as “Hoshi”. 

Hoshi had never given Kei a definitive answer when it came to whether he’d be present at the game or not- which Kei wasn’t particularly surprised by. From the beginning, Hoshi had proven to be shy and uncertain, which Kei respected, if not understood. It was hard to reach out to a stranger, even more so when you didn’t even have the foggiest idea of what the other person looked like. 

And though Kei respected Hoshi’s boundaries, never pushing him to reveal anything nor forcing Hoshi to learn personal aspects about Kei, Hoshi’s distinct refusal to reveal anything personal had always bothered him, leaving a nagging feeling in the back of Kei’s mind. Two years down the line, Kei still hardly knew anything that would remotely help him pinpoint his soulmate down in a crowd. 

Though, Kei supposed, it wasn’t as though he and Hoshi were complete strangers. To put it in words, Kei knew both everything, and absolutely nothing about his soulmate, all at the same time. 

Kei knew that Hoshi loved the color blue, and was fond of soggy fast food french fries (as gross as that seemed to Kei). He knew that Hoshi was nearly abysmal when it came to English (which Kei understood, English grammar made even him want to pull his hair out in frustration). He knew that Hoshi loved the night sky, and sometimes spent evenings gazing up out of his window at the stars and the moon (an act that Kei sometimes joined Hoshi in, if only to feel closer, knowing that they were staring up at the same night sky).

He knew how kind Hoshi could be, and the slightly devilish nature he had when it came to teasing Kei. Hoshi could switch so easily from gently reassuring Kei to making a snarky remark that never failed to make Kei laugh, or at least have his lips quirk up into an amused smirk. 

And yet, Kei knew absolutely nothing about what made Hoshi, Hoshi. 

He didn’t know if Hoshi was female or male (or did they have a different sexuality?). Kei had no idea whether Hoshi had dark brown hair, or if their hair was as blond as his. He didn’t know the types of clothes Hoshi preferred to wear, their height, eye color, nothing. He didn’t know if Hoshi’s voice was soft and sweet (as Kei had always imagined it would be), or if it was actually rather gruff and deep. 

Kei knew of one thing, and one thing only, that might help him pick out his soulmate from a crowd of people, but it wasn’t an attribute that Kei was proud, or even remotely pleased to know about. 

The  _ bruises _ . 

Kei was well acquainted with the blossoms of color that appeared on his skin, almost daily at times. He often found himself tracing the jagged lines of scars that appeared on various places of his skin (most recently, on the bottom of his foot). 

When Kei was younger, more naive, more trusting of the world around him, Kei had accepted his mother’s explanation that his soulmate was likely just clumsy, and that the bruises that seemed to cover every inch of Kei’s body were nothing to worry about. That with time, it would likely get better, and his soulmate would grow out of their innate clumsiness. 

Kei wished that had been the case.

Because now, with every new bruise that appeared, every new cut, every new mark, the heavy weight that settled deep within Kei’s heart grew heavier. Kei had only inquired once about the large number of injuries his soulmate seemed to suffer from, and it had been the only time that Kei had seen a different side to Hoshi. 

Hoshi’s reply had been swift and curt, simply stating that they were clumsy, and nothing more. The words themselves hadn’t been impolite, but there had been a dark, brooding undercurrent to Hoshi’s words, putting Kei off from asking again. 

But Kei knew. He wasn’t stupid, far from it. Kei had put the pieces together when he was 8, from the worried looks that his mother and brother couldn’t quite hide as Kei complained about a new bruise and with the help of some reference books at the library that the librarian had resourced for him (which Kei had gotten a hold of by telling the kindly old woman that he was doing a project on domestic violence). Even if he tried to deny it (for his sake, or Hoshi’s, he didn’t know anymore), Kei knew deep down that the injuries Hoshi continuously accrued weren’t accidents. 

Kei knew it was stupid, if not utterly foolish and cruel to ignore that his soulmate was likely being hurt intentionally, and yet he continued to cling onto a tiny ray of hope that Hoshi truly was clumsy in a way that defied logic. He didn’t want to believe that someone could, or even would hurt someone as gentle and loving as Hoshi appeared to be. 

So Kei simply buried his feelings, his suspicions and worries deep down, far, far away from the forefront of his mind where they skulked, waiting for the day when they would explode out into the open. He stopped mentioning to his mother whenever a new bruise appeared, and covered up the ones that he couldn’t explain away as his own volleyball injuries. 

Kei searched. He searched the rows of bleachers, squinting through his glasses at the crowd, trying to see if he could find the soulmate that Kei had spent two years both knowing and being strangers with. 

Because if there was a chance, even a miniscule one, that Kei could find his soulmate, and finally prove to himself that he was just worried over nothing, that his soulmate was truly fine, and not a victim of abuse, Kei wanted it. 

He desperately wanted it. 

“Tsukishima! Oi, quit daydreaming and get your butt over here!” With one final sweeping gaze, Kei huffed a soft sigh, before turning on his heel and jogging over to the circle of his teammates huddled in a circle around their coach. 

Kei quickly joined the huddle, nodding as their coach barked out final instructions, reminding them of their positions and to stay in communication with each other. After a cheerful cry of their team’s chant, Kei found himself standing in front of the volleyball net, sneering softly at the other team’s middle blockers, who were a good 4 inches shorter than he was. The whistle sounded then, and Kei felt, rather than heard or saw his teammate serve the ball, which went sailing over to the other team’s libero. A soft tsk left Kei’s lips as he watched the opposing team’s setter accurately set the ball to their wing spiker, and Kei leapt up, a perfectly dangerous smile growing on his face as he stuffed the wing spiker in his tracks. A sharp whistle blow indicated the first point as having gone to Kei’s team, and amidst slaps on the back and calls of “nice block!”, Kei felt his body relaxing, the worry over his soulmate fading into the background as he settled himself into the game.

Another sharp blow from the referee’s whistle told Kei that a new rally was starting, and he found himself shifting into position, ready to leap up at a moment's notice, the familiar throb of excitement flowing through his body as he eyed the ball soaring through the air. 

If his soulmate was here, well, Kei was going to show them just how much volleyball meant to him.

\----

Tadashi’s eyes were wide as he watched the ball soar back and forth between the two teams, the high energy rally having gone on for several minutes already, with neither side giving an inch. Tadashi had never quite understood Tsukki’s love for volleyball, having never gotten the opportunity to play sports himself, but the freckled teen could feel the energy and excitement flow up from the players on the court up to the stands, and fill him with a curious feeling of joy as he watched the two teams shout and play together.

A loud cheer went up around him as the ball finally slipped through the fingers of one of the players, bouncing away on the laminated floor as the referee sharply blew his whistle to signal the point. Tadashi watched curiously as a chorus of “don’t mind!” sounded from the team that had lost the point, while the other team all excitedly congratulated the player who’d managed to finally spike the ball past the other team’s middle blockers.

“Ah, set point already. Amemaru has a strong team this year.” Tadashi started and glanced over at the duo who was sitting next to him. Both were clearly students, given their school uniforms, and seemed to be his age, though the orange haired one seemed far too young to be a junior high student. Perhaps he was here with his older brother?

“Set point?” The words slipped out of Tadashi’s mouth before he could stop himself, and he felt his cheeks burn as they both looked over at him. 

“It means Amemaru only has to win one more point to win this set. You don’t know much about volleyball, do you?” The orange haired student (child?) replied, after a moment’s pause. Tadashi shook his head, and to his surprise, the other student smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up as he turned his body towards him.

“Want me to teach you? I love volleyball!” The auburn haired teen next to him snorted, crossing his arms as he also turned towards Tadashi. 

“Don’t get him started- he’ll never shut up when it comes to volleyball.” The orange haired student pouted as he stuck his tongue out at his friend.

“Rude. Anyways, I’m Hinata Shoyo! This is my friend, Yukitaka Izumi. We’re both 3rd years at Yukigaoka Junior High! What about you?” Tadashi blinked, before smiling hesitantly, pulling down the hood of his hoodie as he answered. 

(Okay. So not a child, even though Shoyo was definitely a good 6 inches shorter than he was.) 

“Er… Yamaguchi Tadashi. I’m also a 3rd year.” Tadashi flinched as Shoyo immediately straightened up, his eyes sparkling as he leaned closer to the freckled teen. 

“Cool! Nice to meet you! Do you go to Amemaru too? Are you here supporting them? Or maybe you like volleyball? No, but you didn’t even know what a set point was. So maybe you’re cheering on a frie- ouch! Izumi-kun, that hurt!” Shoyo’s rambling was cut off suddenly by Izumi’s firm slap to Shoyo’s arm. Shoyo rubbed at the sore spot as he glared at Izumi, who simply sighed as he shook his head. 

“My apologies, Yamaguchi-kun. Shoyo gets far too excited sometimes. You don’t have to answer him if you don’t want to.” Tadashi blinked again, still trying to process the word vomit that had erupted from Shoyo’s mouth. A whistle blew then, as Amemaru won the first set of the match, and the two teams separated to take a short break before the next set started.

“Ah, no, it’s okay. Er… I guess I’m supporting a friend.” Shoyo brightened up again as he gazed down at the court, glancing back and forth between the two teams.

“Who is it? Do they go to Amemaru?” Tadashi hesitated, before he shrugged, his fingers fiddling with the sleeve of his hoodie as he answered. 

“I’m not sure.” Shoyo and Izumi both blinked, before Shoyo tilted his head to one side.

“You don’t know? Aren’t they your friend?” Tadashi hesitated again, before nodding. 

“They are… sort of. It’s… my soulmate asked me to come watch their game. I don’t know anything about their school, or name, or anything really, but I guess it’s a guy… considering both teams are boys’ volleyball teams…” Tadashi trailed off, his cheeks blushing brightly as a smile grew on Shoyo’s face.

“It’s nice of you to come cheer on your soulmate! Does he know you’re here?” Tadashi shook his head.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to come, so I didn’t give him an answer.” A half lie, but Shoyo didn’t need to know the complete truth. 

“Ah, I see. Are you going to introduce yourself to him tonight?” Tadashi shook his head rapidly.

“No! No… I don’t think I’m ready to meet him yet…” Shoyo frowned, though he simply shrugged in response as all three of them turned back towards the game, as the second set of the match was starting.

“It’s cool that you’re in contact with your soulmate, though. I haven’t really gotten much contact with my soulmate- I think he’s just shy or something because he doesn’t really reply much. Izumi’s already met his- she’s really sweet.” Tadashi glanced over curiously at Izumi, whose cheeks took on a faint pink color at Shoyo’s words. Izumi cleared his throat before he spoke, rubbing at the back of his head as he watched the two teams intently.

“You should tell him you were here though, considering he invited you and all. I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” Tadashi nodded, humming softly in response. The three of them fell silent as they became engrossed with the game, Shoyo occasionally whispering bits to Tadashi to help explain what was going on. 

After a drawn out set, Amemaru Junior High managed to beat the other team with a score of 26-24, ending the game with them as the winners. Next to Tadashi, Shoyo cheered loudly, making the green haired teen jump in surprise. Izumi sent Tadashi an apologetic look as he tried to calm Shoyo down, who was practically bouncing as the game wrapped up and the people in the stands around them began leaving. 

“That was so much fun! It was really nice to meet you, too!” Tadashi smiled back as Shoyo grinned up at him. Though perhaps a little too energetic at times, Shoyo was a sweet person, and Tadashi found that he didn’t mind his presence- it was comforting, somehow. 

“Hey, can I have your phone number? Do you mind if I text you sometimes?” Tadashi blinked, before he flushed and turned away.

“I… I don’t have a mobile phone…” Shoyo visibly wilted, much to Tadashi’s surprise.

“Aww… that’s too bad- I wanted to text you! Well, I’ll give you mine, anyways! So you can call me if you ever need anything!” Shoyo scrambled for a scrap piece of paper in his school bag, which he quickly jotted his number onto, before handing it to a bemused Tadashi. Izumi spoke then, tugging on Shoyo’s sleeve as he stood up.

“Sho, we gotta go. I promised Mom I’d be home before 8.” Shoyo gasped as he quickly checked the time by flipping his own phone up. 

“Shoot! Me too! Sorry, Yamaguchi-kun, we gotta run! We’ll see you!” Tadashi simply blinked, paper still in his hand, as he watched Shoyo drag Izumi up the stairs and out the doorway that led to the main entrance of the gym. He shook himself then, and quickly folded the piece of paper up, before hiding it in his pocket and standing up to leave. 

It wasn’t even 8 pm yet, it seemed, which meant Tadashi still had over an hour before he was due at home. An entire hour of free time was something Tadashi hadn’t experienced in a long time, and it left him feeling rather uncertain, as he wasn’t quite sure what to do. 

Going home early certainly wasn’t an option- his mother would definitely question his appearance at home, not to mention that  _ he  _ didn’t want to go home an hour early. But simply wandering the streets wasn’t a good idea either- though he was tall for his age, Tadashi knew that it still wasn’t quite safe to be out alone at this time of night. 

Tadashi didn’t have any money on him either- he’d left his school bag and wallet at home, as he knew his mother would’ve questioned him taking the two items with him to work. Which meant he couldn’t spend the hour in a cafe, as nice as it sounded. 

Tadashi sighed as he followed the crowd out, breathing in the cool night air and letting it wrap around his sweaty body. Wearing a hoodie during the summer definitely wasn’t the smartest thing to do, though, Tadashi supposed, it beat having people stare at his rather colorful arms. 

“Oof!” Tadashi tripped forward over a crack in the sidewalk, having stopped paying attention to his surroundings in his pondering. A strong set of arms quickly caught him, saving him from falling forward onto his face. Tadashi froze as he stared up into the face of a mildly exasperated looking teen, one eyebrow raised as his golden eyes peered down at him.

“You okay?” Tadashi blinked, before quickly yanking himself out of his arms and standing up. The taller teen cocked his head to one side as Tadashi quickly bowed and apologized, though he shrugged, seemingly unbothered by what had just occurred.

“Oi! Tsukishima, we gotta go!” A small “tch” sounded from the teen as another voice called out to him, and he quickly turned, slinging a bag over his shoulder as he began walking away.

“Well, as long as you’re okay.” Tadashi stared as the teen walked away, joining a group of teenage boys that Tadashi vaguely recognized as having been part of the Amemaru Junior High team. There was something… oddly familiar about the blonde haired teen, that made Tadashi want to run after him. There was a soft ache, a light feeling of tugging in his heart, and Tadashi blinked, placing one hand on his chest lightly. 

What was this feeling? 

Soon, the teens disappeared, and Tadashi shook himself, slapping his cheeks softly as he tried to shake himself out of it. He had more pressing issues on hand than wondering over a random stranger. Such as figuring out what the heck he was going to do for an hour.

Perhaps… Tadashi pondered, fiddling with the string on his hoodie as he started walking towards home again, Shimada-san wouldn’t mind if he went and helped out for the last hour? He liked helping Shimada-san close up the shop, and his work shift usually lasted from 4-9 on Saturdays. If he made it to the shop by 8, then he could work the last hour, and at least partially make it up to Shimada-san for having to cover the other 4 hours of his shift. (And it would ease the guilt Tadashi felt as well.)

His mind made up, Tadashi began walking faster, pulling up his hood to cover his head. At the very least, Tadashi figured, Shimada-san wouldn’t kick him out of the store. 

\----

“Welcome- oh! ‘dashi-kun! How was the game?” Shimada straightened up from where he’d been sitting, closing the catalogue book he’d been flicking through absently. The store was empty of customers, much to Tadashi’s surprise. Saturday nights usually meant groups of high school and college students, as they came in search of snacks and cheap food.

“It was… really cool.” Tadashi felt his face warm up as a knowing smile grew on Shimada’s face.

“That’s great! So you enjoyed it?” Tadashi nodded eagerly.

“There was just so much energy and movement, and the ball kept soaring up and down back and forth and the set points were so thrilling, but nerve wracking and-” Tadashi trailed off as Shimada let out a small laugh. 

“I’m glad it was a good experience for you. Did you learn anything about your soulmate while you were there?” Tadashi frowned slightly, pondering thoughtfully.

“Well… he’s male. The teams playing today were boy’s volleyball teams. And he goes to one of two middle schools. Apparently the two middle schools were ‘powerhouses’?” At Shimada’s curious look, Tadashi explained, cheeks burning a little brighter.

“I met someone there who helped explain some aspects of the game and stuff to me. He was sweet.” Shimada smiled, looking rather pleased.

“Good. So, do you think you understand your soulmate a little better?” Tadashi shrugged.

“I don’t know much about him still, but… I understand now why he loves volleyball.” A tiny smile lit up Tadashi’s face, as he thought about the way the players had shouted to each other, encouraging one another and playing altogether as a team, rather than as individual players. Shimada smiled gently, understanding the look on Tadashi’s face, and he reached over the counter to ruffle Tadashi’s soft hair. 

“I’m glad you went, Tadashi-kun.” Tadashi nuzzled into the reassuring touch, a soft sigh leaving him.

“Me too.” Shimada gave the teen one final pat before he leaned back in his chair, tucking one hand under his chin as he gazed up at the teen.

“So, I didn’t expect you to come by today, but I’m assuming you need somewhere to be for an hour?” Tadashi nodded a little sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. Shimada simply chuckled, before waving his hand towards the back room of the store.

“Go ahead and grab one of the spare aprons from the storeroom. The other part timer is back there cataloging. Feel free to jump in wherever- you know how things go.” Tadashi nodded gratefully, and turned to do as he was told. As he began walking away, Shimada’s voice called out after him, making Tadashi pause momentarily.

“Oh, and Tadashi?” The freckled teen nodded, tilting his head to one side as he spun back around, now walking backwards towards the storeroom. The mischievous smirk that Tadashi spotted on Shimada’s face made him stop in his tracks, feeling a mild prickle of nervousness make its way up his spine.

“Make sure you contact your soulmate soon. Seeing as to how well that game seems to have gone, I’m sure he’s absolutely dying to hear whether you came to see him play.” Tadashi felt a bright blush cover his cheeks again and he quickly nodded, before hurrying off towards the back room. 

Stupid Shimada-san and his teasing. 

\----

Kei paced back and forth in his room, feeling more anxious than he had before the volleyball game earlier that night. 

Had they come? 

After the match, and after Kei had saved a random middle schooler from falling onto his face, Kei had excused himself from the after game celebrations that was being held at one of his teammate’s houses in favor of heading directly home. Once in the safety of his room, Kei had immediately written a message to Hoshi, simply inquiring if Hoshi had come to the game, and if they had, if they’d enjoyed it. He knew that Hoshi often took some time to respond, especially on Saturdays, as Saturdays seemed to be busy days for his soulmate, but the lack of reply as Kei went about his evening routine of showering and getting ready for bed worried him immensely. 

Had Hoshi really not come to the game? 

Did they not care enough to be bothered to come watch him play? 

No, that wasn’t it. Kei shook himself, disappointed in himself for even thinking that way as he toweled his hair dry. 

He knew Hoshi cared. Which was why Kei had even offered in the first place. 

But he also knew just how anxious Hoshi seemed to get when it came to anything that could potentially give away just who they were, as baffling as it seemed sometimes. It had made Kei wonder on more than one occasion as to just why Hoshi was so cautious about the matter- surely knowing each other in real life wasn’t the worst thing in the world?

Unless… Kei’s suspicions really were true? 

“GAH!” Kei picked up a soft brachiosaurus plush off of his bed and tossed it onto the floor. The plush bounced against the floor before landing upside down on his carpet in a rather sad manner. Kei quickly reached down and plucked the toy up, hugging it gently to his chest before placing it back down on his bed gently, feeling rather ashamed for having taken his frustrations out on his favorite stuffed animal. 

A soft knock sounded on his door and his mother’s head poked in, looking rather concerned.

“I heard you shout- is everything alright?” Kei nodded, cheeks flushing as he sat down heavily on his bed. 

“Everything’s fine. Sorry.” She frowned, noting Kei’s furrowed brows, but only nodded in response.

“Well, if you need anything, your brother and I are both here. You said you were tired- you should get some sleep.” Kei nodded again, giving her a small, strained smile in response. Kei’s mother pursed her lips momentarily and hesitated, before she blew Kei a kiss and closed his bedroom door, leaving Kei alone again. 

Kei sighed as he flopped backwards onto the bed, flipping his right arm up over his forehead as he stared up at the ceiling.

He… he couldn’t be right… could he? 

Of course not. There was absolutely no way in hell that Hoshi, his sweet, gentle soulmate was being hurt on a regular basis, and was therefore absolutely terrified of being found out, because for all they knew, Tsukki was also going to hurt them. 

Kei couldn’t be right. He simply refused to be. 

Kei sighed again as he rolled over, grabbing the dinosaur plus and tucking it under his arm as he stared at the clock. It had been over an hour and half since the game had ended, and nearly an hour since he’d sent his message to his soulmate. Even if his soulmate hadn’t come to the game, Kei hoped that Hoshi would reply, which would at least tell Kei that they were alright. 

Kei’s mobile phone bleeped from his desk, and Kei sat up as he reached for it, seeing that it was a text from his volleyball coach congratulating the team in the team’s group and reminding them all to not stay up too late. Kei exited out of the messaging app and tossed his phone on his bed, when he caught a glimpse of blue on his arm.

_ Hi! Sorry for replying so late- I had some stuff to take care of- but the game was really fun to watch! I don’t know a lot about volleyball, but it was really cool to see the two teams playing!  _ Kei’s heart skipped a beat as he scrambled for a pen, accidentally knocking over a book off his desk in his rush. 

Hoshi had come! They’d come to the game, and seen Kei play! 

_ Oh that’s good! I was hoping you’d enjoy it.  _ Kei pressed a few fingers against his lips, which were quirked up into a delighted smile. There was a bubbly feeling of joy erupting in his chest, and it was quickly banishing all of the dark thoughts that had been clouding over in his mind. 

_ I did! If I had time, I think I’d learn to play too. Seems like a fun game and environment!  _ There was a small twinge of discomfort in Kei’s chest, which he quickly shook off. 

_ It is fun. Maybe I can teach you sometime?  _ This time, the pause between messages was just long enough for Kei’s mind to drag him down and worry over his choice of words (oh god had he scared Hoshi off?), though it disappeared as Hoshi replied.

_ Sure! That would be great!  _ Kei smiled at the blue marks on his arm, one finger lightly tracing over the characters fondly. He didn’t know what he’d do without Hoshi in his life- and it made him glad that he’d mustered up the courage to reach out when he had. 

_ I’m glad you came, Hoshi. Thank you for coming.  _

_ Thank you for inviting me! If you have a game close by again… maybe I’ll come watch another?  _ Kei blinked, stunned by what he was reading. 

Watch another? Hoshi had enjoyed the game so much that they were willing to come watch another one? 

Kei had paused so long, that it had clearly given Hoshi the wrong idea, if his next message was anything to go by.

_ If you don’t want me to come, that’s okay.  _

_ Yes!  _ Kei quickly scribbled his response, his handwriting messier than it was normally in his haste to reassure Hoshi.

_ Yes?  _ Kei tsked at himself for his sudden drop in communication skills- Akiteru would surely be laughing his head off if he could see him now.

_ I mean, yes, please do! We have a training camp and then a few away games, but the next time we have a game here, I’ll let you know!  _

_ Yay! Thanks, Tsukki!  _ Kei had to bite his lip to keep his smile from growing too large. Talking with Hoshi always brought such a light happiness to Kei, and he found himself grateful to his past self for mustering up all of his courage and reaching out on that day, over 2 years prior.

_ It’s getting late though, Tsukki, and I’m sure you’re tired. I have a busy day tomorrow too, so I think it’s time for bed. Great job today though! I’m super proud of you! Both teams fought hard.  _ Tsukki smiled, his heart warm and at peace- a stark difference from how he’d been 15 minutes before. 

_ Thanks, Hoshi. Goodnight, and good luck on whatever it is you have to do tomorrow. Sleep well. _

_ Goodnight! Sweet dreams!  _ When no more blue characters appeared on his skin, Kei set down his pen onto his desk, absolutely beaming as he snatched up his dinosaur and buried his face in it. 

It was a tad embarrassing, the way his face was aflame and his lips were quirked up into a bright smile. But Kei found that he didn’t mind one bit as he lifted his left arm and reread the messages that covered it. 

The image of his ink covered arm was comforting and warm, and made Kei smile again as he gazed over the messages that covered his skin. The conversation hadn’t been the longest he and Hoshi had had (during the summer of their first year in middle school, he and Hoshi had spent nearly 2 hours once writing back and forth to each other. Kei had had trouble hiding the numerous amounts of baby wipes he’d used to wipe the ink off his arms and legs, so that he and Hoshi could continue chatting), but it was definitely up there on his list of favorite conversations. 

Out of habit, Kei reached for the package of baby wipes on his desk, so that he could wipe away the blue ink that covered his arm. Just as he was about to swipe the cloth over the entirety of his arm, Kei paused, the wipe hovering over the ink. After a moment’s hesitation, Kei slowly wiped away all of the messages except one. 

_ maybe I’ll come watch another?  _ Kei wasn’t quite sure why he kept from erasing that specific message, but every time he glanced at it, a warmth blossomed in his chest that filled his heart with feelings of pure happiness. 

Kei discarded the now blue baby wipe into the small trash can under his desk, before he stood and stretched, his body really starting to feel the effects of playing a full volleyball game as a middle blocker. His arms sported a few new bruises, which Kei sent an internal apology to Hoshi for- his poor soulmate certainly didn’t need any more than they already had. 

Walking over to the switch, Kei turned off the light, before he stepped back to his bed in the darkness and slipped off his glasses, folding them neatly and placing them on his desk. He rubbed at his eyes as he climbed into bed, slipping under his light summer bedding and pulling the cuddle brachiosaurus close.

Kei yawned, starting to feel the gentle caress of sleep embracing him as he snuggled the dinosaur plush closer. He was exhausted from the volleyball game, and while his anxious feelings had kept him from feeling sleepy earlier, he was really feeling the pull of sleep now that his heart and mind were calm. 

Kei drifted off, eyes closing as thoughts of a star passing a volleyball back and forth with him filled his mind, making the blond teen smile softly as the image filled his mind. 

… 

As Kei’s breathing deepened and the hold on his plush loosened, a thin, red scar suddenly grew on his arm, and slashed through the words Kei had so carefully left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you don’t understand the last line of this chapter, don’t worry, all will be explained. 
> 
> (Don’t hate me >_< I promise Yams will be happy in the end. No promises on the journey there though.)
> 
> If anyone wonders why Yams doesn’t make the connection between “tsukki” and “tsukishima”, it’s because 1) Yams doesn’t know the last names of the members on Amemaru’s team, and 2) Tsukki just generally means moon, and he thinks the nickname is in response to his own of Hoshi (star). So he doesn’t think Tsukki has anything to do with Kei’s real name, since it doesn’t with his. 
> 
> Also, Hinata?? Don’t know where he came from. I have a basic outline of how I want this story to go, and Hinata appearing this early wasn’t on it. But, Hinata does what he wants I suppose, and if he wants to make friends with Yams early, then I guess that’s what will happen.


End file.
